WHO Looks at Smoking and the Top 5 Causes of Death Worldwide

Although some nations have higher incidences of the top five causes of death, these same five are high on the list no matter where you live and all five are, in some way, affected by smoking. Therefore, if you are reading this with the hopes of learning what you can do to prevent these issues, these top five causes of death, the one common denominator would be smoking. Quit now to prevent further damage to any and all of your body’s systems from cardiovascular to neurological to muscular. There isn’t a square cm of your body that isn’t negatively impacted by smoking. Let’s take a look at those leading causes of death.

The Latest Statistics from WHO

No matter where you live around the globe, it is the World Health Organisation (WHO) that you should turn to if you want any statistics on health, which unfortunately includes mortality. According to their latest statistics, their findings have been fairly consistent over the past few decades. WHO lists those top five causes of death as:

Ischaemic Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease)

Stroke

COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Lower Respiratory Infections – Especially Pneumonia

Trachea Bronchus and/or Lung Cancers

As you can clearly see, smoking is the one common denominator which may be the underlying cause leading to or exacerbating each and every one of those top five. This should tell you that smokers should quit now to reduce risks.

How Smoking Leads to Coronary Artery Disease and Strokes

It is easy to see how smoking can lead to, or exacerbate, the last three but when it comes to Ischaemic Heart Disease and Stroke, many people don’t get the connection. In fact, if you have an irregular heartbeat, the medical name being atrial fibrillation, smoking can cause that as well although this is not a condition that ultimately results in a heart attack but it can very well lead to stroke because of blood that pools in chambers of the heart. Anyone living life with atrial fibrillation knows how scary these irregular and often rapid heartbeats can be.

So, how does smoking affect the arteries and in turn the heart and entire vascular system? The ultimate cause of vascular disease resulting from smoking is because of the reduction in oxygen caused by the chemicals (over 4,000 of them!) released from a burning tobacco product. These enter your lungs, go through to your blood and as they circulate, those chemicals literally destroy the walls of your veins and arteries.

No matter which of the top five causes of death worldwide you are looking at, smokers are more prone than any other demographic. The World Health Organisation releases these statistics in an effort to raise awareness of those diseases which can be prevented in many cases. It is their aim to teach and treat, so the one major takeaway is – QUIT SMOKING TODAY if you are a smoker. Your chances for a longer, healthier life are increased as each day goes by that you don’t light up, and that’s the plain and simple truth.